


your law of gravity.

by 1roomdisco



Series: HOT, YOUNG, NAIVE STILL. [3]
Category: NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), School Rapper (Korea TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Boyfriends, Character Study, Established Relationship, Feelings, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, Jealousy, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Sex is only mentioned, anw basically after prom they're dating but yoonho's uni is far from seoul, cute boyfriends using instagram, ly cute and lost and jealous awe, mark is ridiculous, mark spewing accidental innuendos lmao, yeri is the man and haechan gets a girlfran yusss, yoonho is in a hip hop club he rhymes bout mark all the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 01:13:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14321286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1roomdisco/pseuds/1roomdisco
Summary: “well, first of all, you’re leaving me tomorrow.” if mark sounds like an annoying boyfriend, then so be it. he’s having a lot of conflictingfeelings,okay, he’s allowed to be annoying for once (he thinks).(a sequel tooh maybe maybe).





	1. AUGUST.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cresilia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cresilia/gifts).



> FRIENDS, HELLO.  
>   
> * if you're wondering why i been MIA from tumblr, this is the answer LOLOL  
> * you all know i cherish mork lee like my own lil bro i will never have, and i want him to have only the best boyfie even in fanfiction, thus kim yoonho  
> * who is [kim yoonho you ask?](https://www.instagram.com/kiff_yenjamin/)  
> * mark sent a happy birthday message to him last year lol  
> * [the most well-rounded kiddo i am always rooting for him](http://nakamotens.tumblr.com/post/158236844656/high-school-rapper-more-like-celebrity-bromance)  
> * mark and yoonho were in a team on last year's high school rapper [aka the legendary 'sing sang sung'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVnNnk07ne8)  
> * [even the dreamies lowkey shipped/promoted em](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPAoeztgWtk)  
> * [a recent example of kim yoonho's well-roundedness starts at 1:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DG4ybIlV2c&feature=youtu.be)  
> * yes, he's participating again in high school rapper 2018, and has established 'kiff clan' that i featured in this fic  
> * he was buff n cute last year i wrote him like that in 'oh maybe maybe', nowadays he's slimmed down aksjkdfka  
> * i'm so soft for yoonho i wish him all the best in his career
> 
>  
> 
> MISC:  
> * donghyuck gets himself a gurlfran here yeash  
> * yang hongwon, a prominent character in ['oh maybe maybe'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10630428) and yeri's potential boyf in this fic, was the winner of last year's high school rapper  
> * [hongwon and yoonho met mark + NCT dream last year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ErnW9jF1w)  
> * [bang jaemin is in yoonho's 'kiff clan',](https://www.instagram.com/a.mond_jaemin/) doesn't look like it, but kid can rap  
> * i added other 99liners:  
> [\- this is romeo's kangmin, mark's bff at sopa](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/3f/04/723f04c6aa43c49337b9577cc1e0c86f.jpg)  
> [\- kangmin, mark, and kim minseok aka laun my ONF bab](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/32/6a/87/326a87d38418fd7b07ee8a517a14acd6.jpg)  
> \- stray kids' changbin, ONF's yuto, and wanna one's park jihoon are also here just because lol  
> * fun fact:  
> \- you will find spoiler for [ 'of acting lessons and the class president with a smile that can rival the sun'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13723485/chapters/31527933) in this fic LOOOLLOLO  
> \- bc just like NCTmentary, everything is connected  
>   
>   
>   
> sorry the a/n is too long but i'm just so excited asjfsadfjkajk please enjoy.  
> i hope you will have a good time like i did writing every single word.  
> don't forget to kudos and comments that's all i can ask from you all.  
> um i didn't realize it's exactly a year since i wrote 'oh maybe maybe' is it fate? it is fate. thank you mark and yoonho lmaoooooooooooooooo  
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
> 

 

 

 

 

mark celebrates his 18th birthday with his family, and he finds out he likes wine better than soju or beer. he gets a brand new macbook and a homemade 500,000 won ‘voucher’ that he can use for anything.

jaehyun gets him a portable, vintage marshall speaker.

doyoung-hyung has a custom-made notebook with his name engraved and weekly plan pages and blank pages inside. it’s black. really cool.

donghyuck buys him a new phone case and bakes his favorite carrot cake.

yoonho’s presents are a song that he uploads on his personal soundcloud, featuring his best friend yang hongwon spitting fire about how mark _turns my homie yoon! ho! soft like japanese cheesecake but still i hope y’all will be happy together forever_ —and a very cute baby shark plushie from ikea.

 

* * *

 

“i couldn’t sleep last night.”

yoonho hums, not taking his eyes off his bookshelves. he’s been contemplating whether to pack his ‘one piece’ manhwa collection or not. after a moment of silence, he asks why mark couldn’t sleep, putting a fist underneath his chin.

“because…” mark trails off, pouting. it’s useless. him saying it out loud will not change a thing. yoonho is still leaving him. “never mind! anything else i can help you with?”

“nah.” yoonho turns his head to smile at mark, and mark’s heart skips a beat. today yoonho’s hair is unkempt and his lips were cracked dry before mark manhandled him to put on his unflavored chapstick. now yoonho’s lips are looking better, but it’s not just those lips that are causing mark to have _a lot_ of conflicting feelings.

“you’re staying for dinner, right?” yoonho asks again.

yoonho’s room hasn’t changed since the last time mark visited; it’s still cozy with the sun shining through, the single bed is still pushed against a wall, and the wall is still decorated with doosan bear all-stars posters, korean underground rappers, and a respected black rapper named nash. mark knows nash, because back then in vancouver, jaehyun’s friends listened to american rappers a lot.

“can i stay the night?” mark blurts out and that makes yoonho pause. he looks shocked but pleased at the same time.

mark whines at his slip, hiding his face with yoonho’s pikachu plushie.

“sure,” yoonho chuckles, “what’s up?”

mark sighs quietly, feeling the flame on his cheeks. yoonho is sitting on the floor now, getting back to his miscellaneous box where his knickknacks are packed. he’s only got his favorite monkey plushie and unread books so far, because his parents didn’t allow him to bring his game console to the dorm so he can concentrate on his studies. mark thought that’s fair, and yoonho said he didn’t mind anyway.

“well, first of all, you’re leaving me tomorrow.” if mark sounds like an annoying boyfriend, then so be it. he’s having a lot of conflicting _feelings_ , okay, he’s allowed to be annoying for once (he thinks).

he doesn’t mean to whine but even if he does, he doesn’t even care anymore. “i don’t know how you did it every single day! i mean you had to wake up so early to take the bus to my place in the morning, and i don’t think i can do that tomorrow? like, i don’t think i can get up at all? so i’m staying the night because i don’t want to miss you going to daejeon.”

honestly? this is _so_ ridiculous. mark looks up to check yoonho’s reaction and yoonho still has that shocked but pleased expression on his face. when yoonho opens his mouth to reply, mark shakes his head, squealing,

“how could you take the twenty minutes ride bus from your house to mine every morning just so we could go to school together? why are you laughing—it’s not funny!”

“sorry!” yoonho is _snickering_ , his shoulders are shaking with how hard he is trying to contain his laughter. it’s a good thing that his room is up on the second floor and his parents are out to buy some supplies for yoonho’s dorm in daejeon because they both are yelling like two toddlers!

“is that why you couldn’t sleep last night?” yoonho asks, gently, his small eyes are turning soft as mark really _looks_ at him this time.

mark nods. his own tomato face be damned.

yoonho becomes smug; he squares his chest, sits up straighter, and fist pumps the air silently.

he does it a lot; these patting himself on the back, _good job_ , kind of little gestures—as if he still can’t believe that they’re _boyfriends_ even after all these months of being together. mark wants to tell yoonho that it should have been the other way around; yoonho is the one who makes him happy, and he’s thankful because yoonho has been nothing but a very, very good boyfriend to him. but nowadays mark feels like he’s walking on a cloud by himself, and he’s scared when he falls down to the ground no one will be there to catch him.

because yoonho is leaving.

“hey, mark lee.” yoonho says, and mark can hear the teasing from his voice.

“what?” mark crosses his arms, scrunching his nose because he’s still embarrassed with his hasty confession.

“i didn’t know you like me this much,” yoonho is _grinning_ , “thank you. right back at you.”

trust yoonho to always manage to render mark speechless with his effortless, random sweet nothings.

“y-you’re weird,” mark splutters, but who is he kidding? he’s _ecstatic._

“yeah, but you like me.” yoonho laughs, getting up to go to his wardrobe. he opens the doors, revealing the half empty closet. he just stands there; his broad shoulders are relaxed as he puts his hands in the pockets of his cotton shorts.

“because we’ve established that i, mark lee, like you, kim yoonho, [you should lend me your thrasher flame grey hoodie,](https://www.instagram.com/p/BcPA7HXh1uD/?taken-by=kiff_yenjamin)” mark squeaks because he’s too nervous and adds for a good measure in a much lower tone, “i want to sleep in it.”

“first of all, it’s summer,” yoonho is mocking mark’s way of talking from earlier, scoffing playfully. “and secondly, that’s very specific.”

mark flat out whines, “why can’t you just let your boyfriend sleep in peace?”

yoonho is just chuckling, going to one of his suitcases. he rummages through the content and mark feels bad because it looks like he’s going to ruin his perfectly packed suitcase. but if he asks yoonho to just stop, _forget it, sorry i was being ridiculous,_ his boyfriend is going to tell him _it’s okay,_ _you’re not being ridiculous_ anyway.

yoonho exclaims when he pulls out the grey hoodie as per requested, and mark can’t help but to grin hopelessly.

“take a good care of it, yeah?” yoonho says, personally handing it to mark as he sits down next to him. “it’s my favorite.”

mark knows. that’s why.

“i promise,” he replies, praying that his voice doesn’t crack. he clutches the grey hoodie tighter.

yoonho, probably oblivious, hums. “now now what should we do? my parents won’t be back for at least another hour.” he turns to face mark and mark blinks.

did he just. did he just pause to look at yoonho’s lips for a split second before his brain can compute a safer answer that suspiciously sounds like playing mario kart?

“mario kart?” yoonho, obviously oblivious, pretends to mull over mark’s suggestion. “good idea, i can’t believe i’m going to leave mario kart behind,” he jokes, getting to his feet and offering his big, big hand for mark to take, “let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

during the orientation week, mark:

  * was late on the first day because he went to the north building instead of the east
  * made tons of friends
  * was favored by the majority to be the class rep of the department of english education, seoul national university
  * got elected as the class rep unanimously
  * got doused with a bucket of ice and water as part of the initiation
  * got confessed to at the BBQ restaurant the senior had booked for the last day of orientation week
  * stuttered, rejected her in front of everyone hopefully _politely_
  * reasoned that he wants to focus on getting a good mark and giggled at his own pun because he had one (1) soju shot
  * apologized to the girl, yeri, who _laughed_ hysterically at him because apparently it was a prank
  * got kissed on the cheek by yeri because she’s a cool girl like that (she finished a bottle of soju by herself! mark would never!)
  * got kissed on the cheek by a lot of seniors—girls and boys alike—just because
  * was momentarily immortalized in almost each and every one of class of 2018’s instagram stories
  * got jaehyun to pick him up because he passed out after 11 pm



 

* * *

 

donghyuck’s action speaks louder than words. he would send mark screenshots after screenshots of his kakaotalk conversation with yoonho at the most random times. they’re mostly talking about the wonder of studying at KAIST, and yoonho kept his promise to donghyuck to always tag him whenever he’s updating instagram stories. mark knows because donghyuck will DM yoonho’s instagram stories to him, as if mark hasn’t seen them himself, as if donghyuck doesn’t want mark to miss any since he’s been busy with orientation week and settling in with the overwhelming syllabus.

it’s sweet, what donghyuck’s been doing. but it’s stirring up something else in mark as well. something that he refuses to acknowledge. daejeon is only fifty minutes away from seoul with the KTX high speed rail-ride. that’s like, basically only twice the distance yoonho had to take just so he could go to school with mark every morning, and yoonho took the bus despite the traffic and all. mark can handle the distance. KTX is pricey, it’s true, but he will try his best to save money or whatever. it’s not a big deal, really.

besides, they talk everyday, anyway. yoonho sends him selcas and pictures of his dorm room, the communal showers, the kitchen, his classrooms, his outfit of the day, a random park, and where he likes to hang out with his new friends. he tells mark daejeon is less crowded if compared to hongdae or itaewon, but it’s just as vibrant with colors. yoonho hasn’t got the time to explore the city since the new semester started just a few weeks ago.

and honestly? mark hates himself because most of the time, as he wonders since when did yoonho’s voice get deeper as they talk about nothing and everything on the phone, he will choke on something bitter at the base of his throat; his chest will feel full and he’s aware that it’s ridiculous, but he _knows_ he will be able to breathe again if he can just hug yoonho tight like, _right now_.

 

* * *

 

jaehyun is in his last year and is working as an intern at a reputable public relations company where he gets the data for his thesis. doyoung was hired there a couple of months prior, and he’s been a great help to both jaehyun and mark. he treats mark to dinner more frequently now that he has his own paycheck, and he gives good academic advice ever since mark mentioned in passing that he can’t seem to manage his time well.

umma and appa are doing good. they don’t brag to their colleagues about their two sons studying at the most prestigious university in the country, they’re healthy, and they especially want to know the updates from yoonho; umma because she’s basically smitten with mark’s boyfriend since day one, appa because he likes to think he’s as trendy as the younglings.

“will he be home this weekend? tell yoonho appa is inviting him to have a drink together. does he like wine? appa is in the mood for wine and appa knows you, young man, prefer wine over soju.” appa asks, winking unnecessarily.

mark shakes his head. “yoonho will come home next month,” he mumbles, “said it hasn’t been long? and, uh, his roommate is down with fever.”

“aww,” appa coos, putting down his chopsticks to clutch his heart dramatically. mark and jaehyun crack a smile, but umma is rolling her eyes, has seen such antics from her husband for decades.

“god! what a good young man! don’t let go of him, mark lee, it is an order.”

“yes, sir.” mark says, still smiling, remembering his first kiss with yoonho happened thanks to appa and his awesome graduation gift.

oh shoot now he’s blushing.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. SEPTEMBER.

 

2017-09-05

 

20:02

Mark Lee : Whats ‘kiff’?.

Mark Lee sent a sticker

 

20:39

kiff_Kim Yoonho : hey!

kiff_Kim Yoonho : remmber te hip hop club?

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i got in!

kiff_Kim Yoonho : my sunbaes said its ok to brag bc i deserve it so

 

20:40

kiff_Kim Yoonho : sorry i was eating

kiff_Kim Yoonho : did u eat?

 

20:41

Mark Lee : Np and congratulations!

Mark Lee : I’m so proud of you

Mark Lee : What keyword should I use to search kaist hiphp club?

 

20:42

kiff_Kim Yoonho : ur the best

kiff_Kim Yoonho : just type kiff kaist cypher on youtube

 

20:42

Mark Lee : Ok, I will

Mark Lee : What did you have for dinner?

Mark Lee : I ate pasta with Yeri and Kangmin

 

20:44

kiff_Kim Yoonho : ooohhhhhhh ur new bffs rite

kiff_Kim Yoonho : are they dating? kyaaa

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i had a bento from 711 lol

kiff_Kim Yoonho : minseokkie bought it for me

 

20:46

Mark Lee : Yeri is just too cool for us awks bois……

Mark Lee : Ah is Minseok alright now?

Mark Lee : He sounds like a chill guy from what you’ve told me

 

20:47

Mark Lee : And from your Instagram stories

Mark Lee : He can’t drink, right?

 

20:47

kiff_Kim Yoonho : yea like someone i know :p

Mark Lee : Ugh

kiff_Kim Yoonho : hahahahaha!

 

20:48

kiff_Kim Yoonho : anw i posted something

kiff_Kim Yoonho : tell me if you like it, yeah?

 

20:50

Mark Lee : Whut is it??

kiff_Kim Yoonho : later

kiff_Kim Yoonho : now

kiff_Kim Yoonho : tell me

 

20:51

kiff_Kim Yoonho : are u wearing my thrasher hoodie rn?

 

20:52

[Mark Lee sent a photo](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DazFy2qV4AAfOTm.jpg)

Mark Lee : Ew I forgot I have a pimple wtf don’t look!

 

20:53

kiff_Kim Yoonho : r u kidding me im so looking

kiff_Kim Yoonho : don’t scream but i miss you

Mark Lee : I think I woke up the dead

Mark Lee : You’re embarrassing

 

20:54

kiff_Kim Yoonho : yeah, but you like me

 

20:59

kiff_Kim Yoonho : yo mark lee

kiff_Kim Yoonho : mark

kiff_Kim Yoonho : lee

 

21:01

Mark Lee : I miss you more T_T

Mark Lee : You should screenshot this and frame it

 

21:02

kiff_Kim Yoonho : did u read my mind

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i miss you

 

21:03

Mark Lee : Stop T_T

 

21:04

kiff_Kim Yoonho : alr alr lol

kiff_Kim Yoonho : don’t cry maybe? lol

Mark Lee : Ugh whatevs

Mark Lee : You have early class tomorrow right?

 

21:05

Mark Lee : Do you want me to wake you up?

kiff_Kim Yoonho : right but nah

kiff_Kim Yoonho : minseokkie has an early class too so

 

21:06

kiff_Kim Yoonho : talk to u soon?

Mark Lee : Yeah

Mark Lee : Good night, Yoonho-sshi

 

21:07

kiff_Kim Yoonho : night, mark lee-sshi

kiff_Kim Yoonho : don’t forget i posted somethin

kiff_Kim Yoonho : <3

 

**kiff_yoonho99:** cuz there’s still too long to the weekend and you’re all i think about  <3 #softlikejapanesecheesecake #iwrotethisforyou

 

22:59

Mark Lee sent a video

 

06:01

kiff_Kim Yoonho : g’morning but that’s so not fair :(

kiff_Kim Yoonho : my boyf is the cutest sorry i don make the rules

 

* * *

 

“hyung, i have a girlfriend.”

it’s the way donghyuck says it; shyly, that makes mark drop his phone. donghyuck yells at mark, slapping his hand away as he reaches down to pick up the phone first.

“what the heck?! good thing i bought such quality case to protect your phone!” donghyuck grumbles, inspecting mark’s phone carefully. he’s lying on his front on mark’s bed and he narrows his eyes playfully when mark asks for his phone back.

“also what the hell, hyung? is it that surprising? i’m hurt.” donghyuck clicks his tongue.

mark grins, helpless and caught. “i seriously thought you had a crush on hongwon!” he spins his computer chair so now he’s facing donghyuck. his applied english phonetics assignment can wait.

donghyuck actually _blushes_. he hits mark’s left thigh with his fist. hard. “hyung, hongwon-hyung has tattoo now i’m scared, okay?” he ignores mark’s painful whimper to smile shyly. mark lets it slide, because it’s not everyday that donghyuck turns shy like this!

“anyway my girlfriend is the _real_ chic beauty ha ha ha! her name is mina. she’s so pretty.”

mark’s smile grows wider. this is new. donghyuck doesn’t date, ever. he’s had crushes but this is the first time he’s really doing something about it. “is she your classmate?” he asks, glad that donghyuck is sharing the good news to him.

“that’s right.”

“did you confess to her?”

“accidentally,” donghyuck turns to lie on his back, hugging the baby shark plushie and staring to the ceiling with a faraway look in his eyes. “our class had an outing to ihwa mural village before summer break. she was wearing a very cute tennis skirt, i think the color was pastel pink? it was kinda windy that day. she had safety shorts but not like i was looking or someth— _hey_! don’t make that face, mark lee!”

“i’m just smiling!” mark protests, kicking the bed frame. donghyuck smashes his face to the baby shark plushie’s spine.

he continues in a quieter voice like the memory is the most precious to him he doesn’t want to ruin it with his usual obnoxiousness, “it was windy and i had my favorite black and white flannel shirt. i gave it to her like, so she could tie it around his waist? to protect her from the wind? well, she glared at me because she’s cool like that, you know? we didn’t talk much after that, but at the end of the day she said she wanted me to walk her home. so i did. we took the subway and i remember she smelled _sooooooo_ good, like strawberry.”

when donghyuck pauses for seemingly nothing at all, mark prompts, “and then?”

“and then she said thank you as we walked from the station to her home.”

“uh.”

“then i blurted out that i liked her, have been for quite some time. she snorted, hyung, she _snorted_ at my feeling and said she knew. said she planned to wait during summer break because she wanted to know will i ever have the guts to ask her out.”

“so you were being obvious all this time.” mark draws a hypothesis.

“i dunno,” donghyuck’s expression is serious, “i didn’t send her kakaotalk like, everyday, or something. but jaemin did pair us for after school cleaning duty for like, two months in a row.”

mark remembers jaemin. he’s donghyuck’s class president. tall and good looking, used to be donghyuck’s self-proclaimed rival until it’s clear that jaemin is dating the teenage actor lee jeno, also their classmate, a very important information that donghyuck made mark swear not to tell anyone, not even yoonho.

mark is keeping his promise, by the way.

“ _ooooohhh_ , smooth. did you ask him to?” mark whoops, flinging his pen to donghyuck. it hits donghyuck’s chest.

“i didn’t! i’m suspicious renjun had something to do about it, though.”

“the small one, right? he does seem like he’s good at plotting.”

“yeah, him.” donghyuck scoffs, probably recalling some shenanigan he had with his best friends.

“so, _mina_ ,” mark emphasizes donghyuck’s girlfriend name just because, “mina laughed and said she knew. and?”

donghyuck moves to sit up. “then i thought, _ah, of course, yolo_ , and asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend. she has this classy sideway smirk, you know, she smirked at me and shook my hand to make us official. she pinched my cheek and my favorite flannel shirt is now hers.”

mark glances to where yoonho’s thrasher flame grey hoodie is hanging on the door handle of his closet. he hasn’t washed it yet because he argues that he can still smell yoonho’s chemically processed ocean scaent from the fabric. he wonders if mina is doing the same.

he sighs.

he feels ridiculous.

“hey! no sighing to my first love story, hyung!” donghyuck hits mark with the baby shark plushie and mark giggles, apologizing. he grabs the plushie and hugs it tight. donghyuck knows that it’s _the_ birthday present from yoonho and mark doesn’t understand how can he take out his phone so fast from the pocket of his skintight jeans to snap a candid photo of mark squishing his face against the plushie.

(and, yes, donghyuck sends the candid photo to yoonho, who sends it to mark with a dozens of cute stickers to _accompany_ _your lethal cuteness_ —yoonho’s words, never mark’s.)

 

* * *

 

yeri and kangmin, respectively, are:

  * dorks
  * karaoke machines
  * curious, because mark has never seemed to be interested in anyone who tries their luck to be more than just a friend with him



 

“i mean, you’re super ultra popular, mark.” yeri declares without blinking her eyes like she just said the absolute truth; mark lee’s popularity is as _absolute_ as the sun rising in the east.

next to her, stabbing their shared portion of spicy rice cakes, kangmin amen-s with his free hand in the air.

mark is already getting tipsy. he’s had half shot of soju, only because it’s friday and yoonho hasn’t replied to his kakaotalk since lunchtime which was like, nine hours ago? dammit.

“do you guys want to order makgeolli? i feel like drinking just a cup.” mark rambles, licking his lips. he doesn’t think he should eat any more blood sausage, really.

“fine,” yeri says, fondly, and proceeds to order one bottle of makgeolli to the pojangmacha owner.

“sorry,” mark sighs as kangmin pours a cup for him. “thanks.”

“shut up, man.” kangmin laughs, drinking straight from the makgeolli bottle. “ah, so sweet!”

yeri pinches kangmin’s side until kangmin jumps on his plastic chair. “try not to act like a barbarian for once, will you? have some respect to your handsome face.”

“you think i’m handsome, yeri-sshi?” kangmin can hold his liquor well and his eyes are getting brighter as the night gets darker.

yeri’s native pronunciation of _men ain’t shit_ is killing mark for sure. he cracks up and almost falls off the plastic chair, shaking the square table as he seeks balance.

“way to go, mark, you’re really the best at diverting the topic off your love life,” yeri retorts, shoving a handful of tissue at mark because he’s _sweating_. “who’s the lucky girl? must be your high school sweetheart, huh?”

“you literally didn’t budge when that hot girl from psychology grinded against you!” kangmin chimes in, always keeping a close eye to mark’s latest failed suitor. “if i were you i would have just, i dunno _what_ , but you know what i mean!”

mark frowns. hot girl from psychology happened two weeks ago, at the alpha sig pool party. she was indeed really hot, _older_ , but mark didn’t know what to do with such aggressive type. his experience with girls were mostly in the general rated territory. hell, even with yoonho! his own boyfriend! they had kissed only once after watching doosan bears practicing at jamsil baseball stadium! have they ever danced together? no, they have not, thank you very much. what’s mark got to do with a very hot girl who danced sexily right in front of him?!

oh my god, not that mark is _interested!?_

“yoonho is not a girl,” he states, weirdly calmly, and there is a pause coming from his two good, new friends.

mark is tipsy. his brain is currently in an intel pentium mode, not the usual macOS high sierra.

when he manages to remember what he just said, he feels like everything is over.

university is interesting. it’s a new phase in his life where everything starts from zero. dipping a toe to the great sea of studying, making friends, being a young adult with a lot of feelings and concerns.

mark has always been trying to be himself, he’s never the crowd pleaser, and donghyuck insisted, a long time ago when they were still just kids playing skateboard, that he’s a natural born leader, that mark doesn’t even have to try because _people will want to come to you, you’re_ that _cool, hyung, kinda lame and a bit gullible, but still cool, don’t worry about it_ —but back then, he had never been in love with another boy.

he doesn’t know if yoonho tells his new KAIST friends about him; about the one who, hopefully, makes yoonho’s friends wonder why he is always smiling to his phone, exactly like themselves with their own girlfriends.

but the thing is, they never talk about it. it was fine because it was just going to the prom together as _friends_. after they officially dated since may 9 with yoonho mumbling _will you go out with me?_ up high on the namsan tower, they never disclosed anything ever since and people never asked. both mark and yoonho aren’t changing their relationship status on facebook and they don’t have twitter. sure they post sappy things on instagram, but those are always… vague.

mark loves yoonho so much he’s not sure he wants the world to know. not yet.

but it’s too la—

“well, that works, too.” kangmin shrugs, continuing to devour the spicy rice cakes like nothing major happened.

—te.

mark blinks.

“so we have a name! thank god!” yeri raises her cup and downs her seventh shots of soju with a loud and cute _aah!_

“now tell us about yoonho. is he hot?”

mark is sobered up real fast. he slaps his cheeks once, twice, and asks, pitifully, “guys, really? is that okay?”

“what’s not okay? yoonho, yoona, whatever they are, it’s perfectly okay!” yeri yells, rather obnoxiously, but her smile reaches her eyes. she puts a hand on top of mark’s, squeezing it and not letting go. “thank you for telling us. i’m sorry if we’re too pushy? good news for kangmin because now he doesn’t have to worry about not getting all the girls no thanks to the almighty mark lee.”

“hear, hear!” kangmin giggles, raising the makgeolli bottle. “more ladies for me~”

“thanks, guys,” mark puts both hands on his reddened cheeks, yeri’s warm hand included, “this means a lot to me. it feels like i can breathe properly again ha ha ha!”

“i’m so sorry!” yeri pouts, clinging to mark’s arm, clearly not buying mark’s half-assed, nervous laughter. “will you forgive me? us?”

“you’re the best thing that i could ask for as a friend!” mark throws his arms around yeri, pulling her to his embrace closer. he rests his chin on top of yeri’s brunette head. “but please keep this to yourself? i haven’t… actually out to the world? i mean, my family and my best friend knew, but yoonho and i,” mark whispers, “we just never have a discussion about letting our friends know? am i making any sense?”

“of course, man, anything for you,” kangmin slurs, getting up, bringing the plastic chair with him and plopping down next to mark. he snakes one arm to mark’s waist and they’re just three university buddies who are getting drunk together inside a street food tent.

“mark, i’m asking the real question here,” yeri speaks up after a moment of comfortable silence, “is yoonho hot?”

mark smiles. “as long as he’s mine.”

“gosh, that’s straight up poetry right there! rumi could never!” kangmin sobs, punching mark’s stomach gently. “is he your muse?”

mark hums, “i know i am his.”

yeri and kangmin are making weird, disgruntled noises, probably wishing that kangmin didn’t ask the question because mark and sounding so full of himself never work well together, yet here they are, disgusted and bewildered by such haughty response!

mark giggles, _loud_ , squeezing them tighter, silently thanking god.

 

* * *

 

2017-09-29

 

12:14

Mark Lee : Hey, happy Friday!

Mark Lee : Are you planning to go out with your friends?

 

01:09

Mark Lee : I toldm friEend s bout U

Mark Lee : YEri n kangmin

Mark Lee : They wanna meet u

 

01:11

Mark Lee : I miss you

 

01:13

kiff_Kim Yoonho : aw, mark, sorry i had lots of practicum today ahsfhjskl

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i just ate dinner :(

 

01:14

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i miss u 2

kiff_Kim Yoonho : and thank you

kiff_Kim Yoonho : yeri n kangmin are jjang!!

 

01:30

kiff_Kim Yoonho : u sleep?

kiff_Kim Yoonho : i promise i will call later :)

kiff_Kim Yoonho : sleep tight, mark <3

 

 

 

 

 


	3. OCTOBER.

 

a lot happened on the first week of october.

jaehyun and doyoung-hyung had a big fight, right after jaehyun’s internship ended. they still haven’t talked to each other, from mark can understand, and it’s been eight days. it’s the longest of them fighting. mark is kinda scared, but he’s not going to say the words.

donghyuck had his first kiss just yesterday. he was hysterical when he barged into mark’s room, still smelling like strawberry.

yoonho said he’s coming home next week.

 

* * *

 

you know that eerie feeling when someone is in your room?

mark wakes up to the sound of a page being turned, a creak of his computer chair, and someone inhaling air but not exhaling it? are they alright? are they not breathing anymore? mark sighs, long and loud, alerting them, before he moves his body to take a look.

someone with grey hair (?) is sitting on his computer chair. they’re wearing a simple, black sweatshirt, showing off their attractive forearms, and classic blue jeans.

when their eyes meet, mark’s narrowed eyes widened.

“am i dreaming right now?” he croaks out, voice still heavy with sleep.

“what do you think?” yoonho asks back, gently, aiming his phone to mark and pressing the shutter button.

mark yells, a second too late, diving inside his comforter to hide his ugly, probably bloated, morning face. he can hear yoonho chuckling, but doing nothing about it, getting back to his reading. mark rubs off any possible eye-booger and checks if he drooled. he didn’t, thankfully, but his unkempt hair is a lost cause.

he’s smiling so wide his cheeks hurt.

his heart is palpitating happily because yoonho is here! it’s still early out and it’s saturday but who cares because yoonho is here!

he peeks out again.

and stares and stares at yoonho reading his grammar exercise book.

“can i help you?” yoonho asks, playfully, not paying mark any attention.

mark giggles.

“are you kiff underscore yoonho ninety-nine?” he asks, trying his best to sound like a starstruck fan meeting his idol for the first time. yoonho’s hair is not grey, apparently, but more like the very popular ash grey color, only darker? if that makes sense? mark needs his glasses asap.

“maybe.” yoonho shrugs, playing along.

“you look different from your photos,” mark gushes, “i mean, in a good way! you’re so hot.”

yoonho snorts. he breaks off from the character, spinning the computer chair to face mark, successfully making mark’s heart skip a beat. he crosses his arms, his _more defined_ arms, and pouts, touching the end of his wavy hair, “i lost a bet.”

“sounds familiar~” mark sing-songs, teasing his boyfriend.

“the last time i lost a bet i got you, didn’t i?” yoonho reminds him smugly and mark blushes.

“that’s reaching.” he pokes out one leg to reach yoonho. yoonho lets him hits his knee with the tips of his toes. “but seriously, the color suits you.”

“seriously seriously?” yoonho is touching his hair again.

mark nods. “seriously seriously.”

yoonho grins, and winks at him.

mark yells again.

“get up, will you?” yoonho laughs, gesturing wildly with one hand. “i thought you said you miss me.”

“help me.” mark whines, making grabby hands. “and whatever.”

yoonho’s big, big hands are warm. he pulls mark to sit up, scooting the computer chair closer in the process so mark can rest his elbows on each of yoonho’s thighs. mark puts his chin on his knuckles, and scrunches his nose, smiling wide, knowing it way too well that his scrunched nose is yoonho’s biggest kryptonite.

 _ah…_ mark inhales deeply. it’s really here. the chemically processed ocean scent that always guarantees good time.

yoonho bops mark’s nose with a finger. “you’re really sleeping in my hoodie everyday, huh?” he beams. “and i see sharky is doing well right there. i’m jealous.”

mark blushes too much in a span of ten minutes.

yoonho pinches mark’s chin, maneuvering him so he’s looking up, and asks, “can i kiss you?”

“no!” mark squeals, pulling back to create a distance. “i mean, _yes_ , _please_ , but not now? i’m all gross from sleep, yoonho-yah.”

yoonho laughs, “who said i’m gonna kiss you on the mouth?”

mark glances to the closed door and pouts. right.

“c’mere.” yoonho jumps to sit next to him on the bed. he hugs mark’s head and presses a quick kiss to the top of mark’s head. mark thanks the lord silently because he washed his hair last night before going to bed.

“kiss me again,” mark says, probably whining, but of course he’s allowed to. he hasn’t seen his boyfriend for two months!

yoonho is exaggerating his loud sighing but he kisses both of mark’s cheeks obediently with another exaggerated smooch. mark, blinded by happiness, presses a quick peck to yoonho’s nose before stumbling off the bed to run to the bathroom.

mark finds out as he sits down for breakfast with appa, umma, and yoonho that appa had let yoonho in so early in the morning because yoonho came with a big bouquet of flowers for umma and a box of daejeon’s acorn jelly. appa was also the one who opened the door to mark’s room (mark is not surprised).

he sends a kakaotalk to jaehyun who’s spending the night at doyoung-hyung’s about yoonho coming over, but his older brother hasn’t replied yet. they’re probably still asleep, it’s only 7:20 in the morning.

umma cooks kimchi pancake and chinese fried rice, and the four of them are enjoying the breakfast while talking about both KAIST and seoul national university. yoonho says there are only thirteen girls in his class and they’re all cute, but will never be as cute as mark. mark says he’s joining the debate club, and yoonho asks _are you sure?_ and the whole table laughs, even mark. then appa asks _did he ever argue with you, yoonho-yah?_ and yoonho shakes his head, thanking mark for being the cutest, bestest boyfriend to ever boyfriend.

umma is giggling. she says she couldn’t believe that yoonho could get any sweeter than this and yoonho does a worshipping gesture towards mark.

who’s as red as tomato the whole time.

mark and yoonho volunteer to wash the dishes, and they work in a very comfortable silence. umma has two glasses of orange juice and lots of chocopie ready up in mark’s room when they’re finished, and they sit on the floor as yoonho shows mark his freestyle rap battle audition that got him into kiff. the video is uploaded on kiff’s official youtube channel, spread around to its 339K subscribers and the whole world to see. yoonho’s cut is titled ‘sweet rhyme seoul boy yoonho’ and it’s being watched 53.987 times since it was uploaded back in early september.

“listen carefully,” yoonho says, putting one earphone that’s plugged to mark’s macbook to mark’s ear, “you came to my mind the moment i held the mic.”

the video is in 720 HD, kinda grainy, but mark can see the spotlight on yoonho just fine. yoonho’s wavy hair was still black at the time, parted at the center. he’s wearing a black, stüssy t-shirt and black shorts. no flashy accessories or blatant hip hop fashion, because yoonho once told mark he’s not into stereotyping. everyone in the video is hyping him up, some girls with blood red lipstick are screaming and some boys are chanting along to the beat. there’s about fifty of them and mark can feel the energy.

but then the beat changes after yoonho get the mic; it’s kinda dark, slow-ish, yet still lit.

mark holds his breath.

 

_fantasies can run but they can’t hide_

_it’s like i’m standing there, you know,_

_appreciating god’s design_

_and then you showed up,_

_it’s like you read my mind_

_your smile is like the sunshine_

_that’s why i had to dedicate at least one rhyme_

 

and he exhales shakily.

mark has a fist covering his shocked smile and his heart is on his sleeve. his glasses are slipping down his nose and when the video ends, it’s just 0:59 long, he just has to press replay because—

 

_it’s like you read my mind_

_your smile is like the sunshine_

_that’s why i had to dedicate at least one rhyme_

 

oh my god, umma is right! how could yoonho get any sweeter than this?!

there’s a very, _very pleasant_ shiver running down mark’s spine, stirring his blood with something warm and alarmingly crude when it comes to his own boyfriend. bad biology, really, because this is the most inconvenient time to have a bone—

“pretty dope, huh? i got in to the nation’s well-respected university hip hop club rhyming about you.” yoonho is chuckling, interrupting mark’s embarrassing thought. who knew that he’s halfway the turned on street just because yoonho performed a freestyle rap about _his smile._ god!

“hey, mark lee,” yoonho says, stroking one big hand to mark’s now-combed hair when mark is not responding, “don’t tell me you’re crying.”

“shut up,” mark whines, pushing up his glasses and sitting up straighter, “i never cry.”

“that’s true,” yoonho agrees easily. they’re sitting shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, and yoonho’s hand on mark’s nape and inner thigh are big and hot and yup, mark is definitely not imagining it; yoonho’s eyes fall down to his lips for a split second only to look away and yoonho finally asks,

“can i kiss you for real now?”

mark doesn’t answer. he tries his best not to breathe as he leans forward, tilting his head and opening his lips. yoonho is doing the same, he’s leaning closer but his grip on mark’s nape is gentle and not demanding and suddenly mark’s vision turns dark; he can feel the lens of his glasses are pressing against yoonho’s cheeks but in the next second he’s jumping, not tasting yoonho’s lips, when donghyuck bursts into the opened room, screaming,

“ _SCIENCE-HYUUUUUNG I MISS YOUU_ U— _!_ whoops, did i interrupt something muahahaha!”

mark stays rooted in his position, chest hammering with adrenaline and embarrassment, while yoonho is busy having a lapful of lee donghyuck who’s kissing his cheek soundly.

“i saw your instagram story and i was like, hey! i _know_ that ugly mop of hair and dirty comforter and rushed here!” donghyuck yells, kneeling next to yoonho like a pet.

yoonho is grinning, patting donghyuck’s head. “i hope you brushed your teeth.”

“ _duh!_ ” donghyuck scoffs, but his eyes are sparkling. he hugs yoonho once more before laughing at mark’s misery. “i’m not going to apologize,” he declares, “bet you haven’t seen science-hyung’s instagram story yet.”

“that’s because i didn’t tag him.”

“riiiiight. whatever, mark-hyung is still a loser.”

mark does a mehrong to donghyuck and checks his instagram. yoonho posted two photos in his instagram story.

the first story is of a KTX ticket, taken at the train station with the KTX’s sleek body in the background with no caption.

the second one is a blurred photo of someone—it’s mark, who is he kidding—in the middle of flinging his comforter up to hide himself, the caption says _cute_ ＼(￣▽￣)／♡

mark smiles, screenshotting the instagram story for sappy hour material.

yoonho and donghyuck are staring at him; yoonho with such undisclosed affection and donghyuck leering like a little brat he is.

“ _what?_ ” mark blows the raspberry at them, clutching his phone like it will protect him from them. “and you, dongsookkie, why are you here? go have a date with mina.”

“you can’t tell me what to do.” donghyuck huffs, but mark doesn’t miss the way his ears are turning a shade of red.

“ooooooohhh…” yoonho is joining in mark’s sly attempt to change the spotlight to the youngest boy. he raises his eyebrows at mark before continuing, still with the same teasing tone, “mina, huh? tell me you’re treating her right.”

“of course i am,” donghyuck pouts, looking betrayed by yoonho, his newly crowned most favorite hyung. mark isn’t his most favorite hyung because mark is the only one.

(jaehyun is way too blinding, donghyuck said when they were kids, and he’s turning docile whenever jaehyun is around.)

anyway.

it’s storytelling time. donghyuck is blabbering about mina and their first kiss to yoonho, who’s listening patiently while munching on a chocopie. donghyuck drinks the orange juice from yoonho’s glass without asking permission. mark is about to scold donghyuck but yoonho just winks at him and _drinks_ from _his_ glass. mark shakes his head, but he’s grinning like a fool.

donghyuck is showing off his and mina’s selcas to yoonho, and mark blurts out,

“you’re not allowed to crash our date later.”

“ _what?_ but whyyyyyyy, hyuuuuuuunggg?!” donghyuck whines, like he’s always been doing to mark for the past six years. he’s glaring at mark, genuinely looking upset like he doesn’t understand why he can’t tag along.

yoonho, pretending to be innocent, asks, “oh? we’re going out later?”

it’s mark’s turn to glare at yoonho for not playing along.

yoonho laughs and nods, giving up. he promises donghyuck that donghyuck can visit him in daejeon anytime. donghyuck snaps that he doesn’t want mark to come with when he’s visiting yoonho in daejeon and mark is almost replying back _well then i will go to hongdae with mina, muahahaha_ —but he stops himself. that comeback is so childish! and so not original! mark’s boyfriend is a rapper who does freestyle battle a lot, oh my god, he can’t humiliate yoonho like this?!

“yeah, sure, i’ll take you around KAIST.” yoonho says, pinching donghyuck’s chin. “you can take mina with you.”

that name is so magical. donghyuck shuts up and goes to cling to yoonho’s arm, whispering things that mark can’t hear.

“i’m going to shower,” mark says, gathering the empty chocopie wrappers with him. “do you have any place in mind, yoonho-yah?”

“we can go meet hongwon later on, he’s usually still sleeping until, like, three?” yoonho looks up. “uh, i dunno. it’s still too early to go out.”

mark scrunches his nose, rethinking his decision.

“can we stay in for a while? donghyuck just got here,” yoonho reaches one hand out and mark takes it.

donghyuck is grinning like the devil incarnate he is. “yeah, mark-hyung, _why_ are you so impatient to get rid of me?”

“i’m not answering that,” mark huffs, squeezing yoonho’s hand before getting up. “okay, i’ll just get us some water and more snacks.”

they decide to play a round of monopoly. then a game of poker, endless rounds of uno, and they have to halt their ongoing faux rivalry because donghyuck gets a sudden call from mina, asking him to meet in dongdaemun plaza because they’re going to watch a movie. donghyuck’s panicked look is such a sight that mark has to bite his knuckles or else he will disturb his best friend’s doom.

donghyuck pulls his phone away from his ear to mouth _WHAT DO I DO I FORGOT WE HAVE A DATE TODAY??_ —and yoonho, further cementing his position as lee donghyuck’s most favorite hyung, is telling him to tell mina that he just woke up from a nap.

mark is just trying his best not to hiccup.

but as it turns out, mina is messing with donghyuck.

she’s got free screening tickets to the latest, most anticipated movie starring cha taehyun, her favorite actor. the screening is in two hours, and she figures boys don’t need to take long to get ready so she’s telling donghyuck now. donghyuck laughs like a hyena upon the revelation, and mark is wiping the corners of his eyes with the hem of his t-shirt.

yoonho clears his throat, sniffing.

mark blinks but thinks nothing of it. he hugs yoonho tight, bidding goodbye to donghyuck who’s determined to look the best for his impromptu date in one hour and fifty-eight minutes. yoonho gives donghyuck a salute, and donghyuck is running out of mark’s room only to come back again to kiss yoonho on the same cheek he kissed earlier.

“does he kiss you like that?” yoonho comments, one hand still poised on his cheek.

“he does,” mark giggles, “what time is it?”

“four-ish. did we skip lunch?”

“we did.”

“so, is it gonna be early dinner or spicy rice cakes before dinner?”

“i could use early dinner, then we can just eat more. is hongwon alive now?”

“ _good idea_ ,” yoonho answers in random english. “i’ll call him.”

they agree to meet with hongwon, yeri, and kangmin at a fried chicken place in hongdae that serves cola flavored spicy fried chicken.

yeri is already squealing excitedly the second mark and yoonho walk inside the restaurant—not even hand in hand, because the place is crowded on a rainy saturday evening. mark asks her what is it and she needs a full moment of fanning herself and regulating her breathing.

kangmin looks just as lost as mark and yoonho.

and finally, yeri is crying out, “you guys are sooooooo cute?! what the heck, color coordinating on a rainy saturday evening? hell yeah.”

mark frowns. he looks down to what he’s wearing; long sleeved black t-shirt that swallows his fingertips, oversized denim jacket, and tight, black jeans. he looks to his left to where yoonho is sitting in a simple black sweatshirt, black denim jacket, and classic blue jeans.

and so it clicks.

“it’s unintentional, i swear!” mark denies, a little bit too loud to his liking. he cowers in his seat and pouts at yoonho’s teasing remark,

“really? i thought it was so cute of you to color coordinate with me. can’t believe you played me out like this, mark.”

yeri gasps dramatically. “mark lee, how could you let down your boyfriend so easily? that’s unacceptable.”

the whole table but mark is laughing, and yoonho introduces himself with a firm handshake to both yeri and kangmin.

“hi, guys. kim yoonho. is mark doing well with his studies?” he asks, taking off his black denim jacket and putting it on his lap.

“such an odd question coming from the almighty mark lee’s boyfriend,” kangmin says, glancing at yeri for a quick approval. yeri is grinning.

 _gosh_ , mark whines quietly, _these two!_

“’the almighty’?” yoonho repeats the nickname that’s stuck ever since people learned that mark graduated from seoul gangseo, was born and lived overseas, and has a face that is the perfect combination of cute and handsome to boot.

“honestly, look at him carefully,” yeri says in a spirit of a politician running for election, “he’s got it all, kim yoonho-sshi. there’s nothing he can’t do. he’s our _class rep_. and he’s cute.”

kangmin amen-s. the scene feels like a déjà vu for mark.

yoonho is smiling until his eyes disappear. he nudges mark’s side playfully, “yet he swears he didn’t mean to color coordinate with his own boyfriend.”

“oh, _buuurn_! i like him, keep him!” yeri giggles, and kangmin puts up his fist for yoonho to bump.

mark closes his eyes and buries his face in his hands.

they don’t need to know that he’s biting his bottom lip so hard to keep himself from grinning.

“my friend is arriving soon, would you guys mind if we order now?” yoonho asks, one hand finding its place on mark’s nape. if mark is nuzzling to the touch, it’s nobody else’s business but his. “we skipped lunch and fried chicken is my favorite food.”

“really? i thought your favorite food is samgyeopsal.” mark asks because he’s pretty sure yoonho said it was samgyeopsal not too long ago.

“dude, that’s some quality boyfriend-y banter if i ever seen one,” kangmin butts in, clapping his hands, looking defeated. “sorry.”

“thanks,” yoonho grins, offering his fist to tell kangmin that he doesn’t mind. to mark, he speaks more gently, “you’re right. samgyeopsal is forever but now we’re having fried chicken, aren’t we?”

“cheeky.” mark scrunches his nose, and yeri is making hearteyes at them.

they order a set of cola flavored spicy fried chicken enough for six people, two large french fries, and clear tofu soup for five. soju goes so well with fried chicken, so they order two bottles and a bottle of peach flavored soju for mark, because of course mark didn’t know that there’s flavored soju out there.

fortunately, no one is teasing him about his another episode of clueless mark lee.

hongwon arrives just after the waiter served the drinks; the shoulders of his coat have darker spots from the rain, but he tells them that the rain has stopped. mark is surprised that hongwon is pulling him in one-armed hug. the tattoo on his neck looks cool thisclose, and there are two tiny lines cutting his left eyebrow.

“i would apologize, but the main character always arrives late.” hongwon says in his usual effortlessly reckless attitude that attracted donghyuck before. maybe all rappers are built like that. “hi, everyone, i’m yang hongwon.”

“does the main character have a leading lady yet?” yeri chirps in, saluting hongwon over a shot of soju before swallowing it in one clean move.

mark blinks. yoonho and kangmin are snickering.

hongwon nods approvingly at yeri, but he doesn’t answer.

“wait, ha ha,” kangmin holds up one hand, “yang hongwon? youngb _the_ rapper? show me the money 6?” he asks.

“yeah.” hongwon nods again, taking the soju shot from kangmin who can’t seem to close his mouth. “thank you…?”

“noh kangmin.” kangmin whispers.

“nice to meet you. and you are, miss?”

“yeri.”

“and here’s our food!” yoonho breaks off the air of sexual tension wafting out of hongwon and yeri, but mark is not sure what to do. is there any playbook on how mark should react in such situation involving his and his boyfriend’s friends probably going to get it on? aren’t they too young still? but then he remembers he almost had a boner because yoonho performed a freestyle rap about _his smile_ and he doesn’t think he’s one to judge.

they’re a bunch of growing kids with big appetite, and soon enough they’re too busy eating the delicious fried chicken to care about anything else but their stomach.

except yoonho is reminding mark to stop drinking after the fifth shot because the night is still young.

“i’m not drunk.” mark says, and it’s a statement. the alcohol level on a bottle of peach flavored soju is only 11%, almost on par with wine, his favorite.

“i know,” yoonho replies quietly, pressing a quick kiss to mark’s left shoulder, “but please?”

mark scrunches his nose, smiling, “i didn’t know you miss me this bad.”

yoonho smiles, feeding mark a piece of chicken meat and skin. “now you do.”

“god, yoonho-yah, you are _sickening_ ,” hongwon barks a laugh, but his eyes are softening around the edges. “no offense, mark, but [he’s really the human japanese cheesecake now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpgdwx5X_E4).”

mark is still smiling. “at least it’s delicious.”

hongwon gapes. yeri and kangmin are choking on their clear tofu soup.

“what’s wrong?” mark blinks, worriedly distributing tissues to yeri and kangmin because they’re suffering. again, the scene feels like déjà vu for mark. “haven’t you guys tried japanese cheese—“

“you know what? i can’t risk it,” yoonho suddenly says, getting up from his seat in a hurry. since his hair is lighter mark can tell that yoonho is blushing right now. but why is yoonho blushing? did something happen?

“keep an eye on him, yeah? i’ll be right back.”

“where are you going?” kangmin asks, also in a hurry, to which yoonho answers that he’s going to get the almighty a hangover cure.

mark should feel insulted that his boyfriend doesn’t even trust his drinking ability, but he said it himself, didn’t he? yoonho missed him so much he didn’t want mark to get wasted way too early. mark pouts and glares at the innocent green bottle, chasing off the sweet taste of peach on his tongue with his saliva. it doesn’t really work, so he finishes his bowl of clear tofu soup in an alarming speed.

“slow down,” hongwon says, pushing a glass of lukewarm water closer to him. “yoonho will be back soon.”

“i’m not worried,” mark mumbles, feeling embarrassed. he should have known better, but he swears he’s not drunk. not yet.

“he is, though.” hongwon sounds sympathetic and he’s patting mark’s head. befriending hongwon had felt surreal for the first few times they went hanging out together, especially with how hongwon was the one betting that mark would say yes to yoonho asking him to prom in the first place. despite their differences—mostly just in music taste—they have come a long way; hongwon admitted he admires mark’s academic accomplishment and mark admires hongwon knowing what he wants to do with his life from such early age.

“i hate myself,” mark sighs, slumping his posture, spreading his legs under the table. “i’m never drinking again.”

“you do that, buddy,” hongwon smiles, “i see your friends are pretty relaxed.”

“they’re like, the drinking champions,” mark says, “and karaoke machines. don’t know much about their rap.”

“if you count hyuna and exid songs as rap, then, _yeash_.” yeri is in one of her moods to challenge anything and everything that has brain and can talk (mostly men).

“interesting,” hongwon says, more to himself, but yeri catches it and proposes a karaoke slash rap battle right after their food is digested. mark is a living witness of men getting their ego crushed after they took yeri’s challenge. he’s still not sure if there’s any bro code about this or not. he hopes yoonho will know how to handle them.

“what did i miss?” yoonho asks as soon as he’s back to find out yeri and kangmin adding popular idol songs to their karaoke playlist in yeri’s phone, and hongwon calmly dissecting a chicken wing using his plastic-gloved fingers.

“they’re going to have a karaoke battle,” mark says, taking the small green bottle from yoonho. “this is the hangover cure? i’ve never had this before.”

“because i don’t want my boyfriend to sleep on me on our first date after months.” yoonho takes over the bottle as mark is struggling to uncap it and he uncaps it easily. “yeah, this is for you,” he says patiently, making sure that mark is drinking the whole bottle.

“oh my god,” mark grimaces, clutching the edge of the table as he tries to swallow the liquid. “ _oh my god!_ ” he whines at yoonho, who’s laughing and helping him with another glass of lukewarm water.

“that bad?”

“horrible! it’s like i’m drinking raw herbs mixed with _dirt_.”

“you tasted dirt before?”

“not the point! i’m never drinking again.”

yoonho is smiling fondly, softly like japanese cheesecake, and mark wants to cuddle him right there and then in the middle of a busy fried chicken restaurant. but he can’t, so he just nuzzles his head to yoonho’s back, sobers up, and eats three more drumsticks.

they follow yeri to a makeup store and mark ends up buying a peach flavored chapstick for yoonho, arguing that the weather is getting colder therefore yoonho has to take a better care of his lips by moisturizing them constantly.

“you sure you’re just not having a peach obsessed flavored anything?” hongwon asks with a serious tone. “including yoonho’s lips?” and yeri is snorting so unladylike that she’s attracting other customers to their group, and some of the girls recognize _youngb-oppa_ that it’s yoonho’s turn to snort, pushing mark, yeri, and kangmin away from _youngb-oppa_.

yoonho is humoring mark by applying the chapstick right away as they wait for hongwon taking selcas with his fans.

“does it really taste like peach?” mark, honest to god, is just asking a harmless question, but obviously his proper image has been tarnished by his ‘ability’ to twist wholesome opinion _or_ question into something akin to perversion.

“no making out zone!” yeri hisses at them, making a huge X with her arms.

“i wasn’t—!” mark splutters, blushing.

“it doesn’t taste like it,” yoonho laughs, ruffling mark’s hair, effectively putting mark at ease. “but it smells so sweet. thanks.”

kangmin fakes a loud sob.

a moment later, hongwon is back, face is still radiating the effortless indifference that seems to be his default expression, and yeri comes up with a snide,

“did _youngb-oppa_ score phone numbers?”

“that he did,” hongwon answers, raising his cut eyebrow, “would miss yeri exchange phone numbers with youngb-oppa?”

yeri actually says _lol_ , followed by nothing, and leads them to the direction of the karaoke place.

they rent a medium-sized room for one hour, since yeri says she feels like hitting the club next now that they’re in hongdae. this will be mark’s second time going to a club; the first time was a mess because a gigantic dude with big eyes and big lips was staring at him intensely as if he wanted to devour mark whole. mark had to ask a sunbaenim to wait with him at the taxi stand because he was that scared.

“you’re spacing out.”

“what?”

“never mind,” yoonho shrugs, patting his own shoulders, “use these.”

but mark wants to sing a song, a bubbly pop song from an idol boy group that donghyuck often sings at the top of his lungs; something about the first and last love.

 

_wherever i am, even if i’m dreaming_

_to me, it’s only you_

_i’ll swear upon the rest of my life_

_there won’t be another you, you’re my last_

_my baby baby_

_just because it’s my first time doesn’t mean i don’t know_

_everyone will be jealous of us_

_i’m taking the opportunity_

_to make my first love last till the end_

 

when he comes to the rap part, mark changes the pronoun and everyone is screaming _mansae!!_ and yoonho has his performance recorded until the end and mark throws himself on yoonho’s lap after he scored 98.

“god, the almighty _can_ sing,” kangmin yells into the mic, “hide yo girls out!”

yoonho and hongwon are doing an intense duet with some songs from zico and dean and mark has his chin on his palms while yeri and kangmin are jamming, dancing like some cool kids to the tune. mark is having a good time.

they take a group selca just outside the karaoke place, and everyone is focusing on their phones as they decorate the photo with something witty, something that can induce jealousy among their own circle of friends because hey, they’re hanging out with the one and only youngb.

hongwon takes a selca with yoonho, and that’s the only thing that he posts in his instagram story so far. he’s got exactly 549K followers, by the way, and he tags yoonho’s kiff_yoonho99, the caption proudly says _my bro since day 1 @kiff_yoonho99 #heamushinlovenowtho #sorryladies._

donghyuck’s reply to mark’s instagram story is a total 180 from what he claimed earlier today.

@dongsookkie replied to your story: _That Hongwon-hyungie? PLEASE ASK HIM IF HE REMEMBErs me TT TT_

mark laughs, bumping into yoonho’s side and staying where he is. “hongwon-ah, do you remember my best friend donghyuck? we went to look for yoonho’s suit with him before prom?”

hongwon smirks, “the cute one with the lisp. how can i forget?”

“yes! oh how i wish he could hear you.”

“is he a senior now?”

“yes, he said he missed you.”

hongwon asks mark for donghyuck’s instagram account, follows it, and mark is waiting for donghyuck’s mental breakdown any second now.

but donghyuck doesn’t bombard mark’s kakaotalk with his freaking out. he’s probably busy crying real tears of joy to renjun and jeno.

“it’s still early,” yeri says, huddling with kangmin.

“we can warm up our sick dance moves at the arcade,” kangmin suggests, “DDR battle, everyone?”

they all agree. on the way to the arcade, they stop by a 7-11 to buy mineral water, enjoy a busking event held by rookie girl group with quirky concept for a solid fifteen minutes, get people turning heads because _is that youngb?_ —and hongwon decides to buy a nondescript black mask from a street vendor so they won’t be interrupted again, and finally they arrive at the crowded arcade.

mark, yoonho, and hongwon are hyping up yeri and kangmin as they battle it out with twice’s legendary ‘cheer up’. they pick exo’s ‘growl’ next and that makes people gather to watch. mark is keeping close to yoonho the whole time, and because everyone is minding their own businesses, he slips his hand into the pocket of yoonho’s black denim jacket while yoonho has an arm thrown around his shoulder. hongwon is standing next to him, wearing the black mask, nodding along to the music, and he gives a good applause when yeri and kangmin are finishing their dance number with flourish.

they’re spreading out after that. yeri and kangmin are sitting down on a nearby bench, watching hongwon slaying the enemies at a gun game. mark and yoonho are shooting the hoops, with mark winning 100 to 78.

they continue to the claw machine. after the third attempt, yoonho wins a donut squishy toy that he’s going to give to donghyuck and mark gets a random box of disney character figurine.

it’s donald duck, his favorite. he’s keeping it.

“i want ice cream,” mark says randomly, watching yeri and hongwon battling it out at the racing car game. “do you guys want some?” he yells over the concentrated looks on yeri and hongwon’s face.

“are you crazy?” yeri yells back and mark laughs, skipping over to where yoonho and kangmin are talking about the upcoming star wars movie.

“kangmin-ah, do you want ice cream?” mark asks, taking the pink plastic bag from yoonho’s hand with the donut and donald duck toys in it.

“nah, i’m good, thanks.” kangmin smiles. “just kakaotalk me where you guys are later. i think those two are still going at it.”

“yeri is savage, but cute,” yoonho acknowledges, “exactly hongwon’s type.”

“for real, dude?” kangmin’s grin looks unsettling for some reason but mark _gets it_.

“hongwon likes his girls, what is it, intellectually stimulating,” yoonho chuckles, making a knowing face at the two, “he gets bored easily.”

“thank god yeri is far from being boring,” kangmin whistles, crossing his arms and nodding like he’s approving the beginning of yeri and hongwon’s probability of having something more. “say, yoonho-yah, do you have a nice girl to introduce to me?”

“not satisfied with SNU girls, noh kangmin?” mark teases, wriggling his eyebrows.

“just trying my luck,” kangmin snorts, but his ears are reddening. “go. your ice cream is waiting.”

“right,” mark huffs, tugging the sleeve of yoonho’s black denim jacket. “come with me?”

yoonho gets himself a bottle of warm chocolate milk and mark a simple dark chocolate magnum. they sit down on the high stools after paying, delving in the muted down atmosphere after the karaoke and the arcade.

“did hongwon have girlfriends before?” mark asks, licking his bottom lip. he’s resting his back against the white table.

“yeah,” yoonho replies, not taking his eyes off the busy street of hongdae. “two? no, three. he had an ex-girlfriend back in middle school.”

“and they were all like yeri?”

“never as cute, though.”

“you said i’m the cutest.”

“last time i checked, you’re not a girl.”

mark giggles, satisfied with yoonho’s comeback. he offers a bite of his ice cream to yoonho but yoonho declines.

“tell me you’re having fun.”

“i am. how about you?”

yoonho pauses. he takes a gulp of his warm chocolate milk. “did i tell you that you’re getting even more handsome since the last time i saw you?” he starts, quietly, and he glances at mark with honey flowing out from his eyes. “facetime didn’t do you justice.”

mark scoffs, but his heart is full with love and a bit of that smug feeling because your boyfriend is complimenting your face. he scrunches his nose at yoonho, who clutches his chest as if he’s been shot.

“you’re too much,” mark slaps yoonho’s back playfully, “but thanks. anything else about your feelings that i should know?”

“do you remember what i said to you when i asked you to prom?” yoonho asks, still quietly, and mark decides to scoot closer until he can feel yoonho’s body heat. this much skinship is okay in public; they will look like two best friends taking a break from a wild night.

he rests his head on yoonho’s solid bicep and thinks.

“umm, you said you’re using all of your luck this year to ask me to prom.” mark says, taking the last bite of his dark chocolate magnum.

yoonho is quick to add, “one of these days i’m wondering when will my luck run out.”

…okay, that’s—

that’s _not_ good.

“don’t say that,” mark whispers, not liking where this is going. “ _no_ , please don’t _even_ think that.”

yoonho sounds apologetic when he admits, “but that’s what i feel and i want you to know.”

“but we’re not at prom anymore, we’re you and me now,” mark presses on, bordering on wailing like a spoiled child, “we’re together, yoonho-yah, what makes you think that you need luck just to be with me?”

yoonho rubs his face using one big, big hand, _roughly_ this time, unlike whenever he’s touching mark, and mark spins the high stool so he can hug yoonho comfortably, public space and public perception be damned.

“thanks,” yoonho smiles at mark through their reflections on the window, “i needed that.”

mark makes sure that yoonho is listening when he finally speaks up, “don’t ever, _ever_ think that again, okay? i love you so much. if it’s about the distance, we’ll just have to make time to see each other more frequently, yeah? if it’s about luck or whatever nonsense you believe, you have to know that it should have been the other way around. you’re too good for me, yoonho-yah. you indulge me, you’re soft to me, you are enough. i’m the lucky one to be loved by someone like you.”

yoonho lets out a deep chuckle.

mark pouts. now he understands how donghyuck had felt when mina _laughed_ at his feeling.

“can you say it again?”

“say what?”

“you know what.”

“what? that i love you?”

“ooh, can you repeat it one more time? i couldn’t quite hear it right.”

mark smiles. this is ridiculous, declaring the most important feeling ever to his boyfriend in a convenience store with an ice cream wrapper and an empty bottle as witnesses, but mark will do anything to make yoonho happy.

“i love you, kim yoonho. so much.”

and it feels kinda anticlimactic, to actually verbalize what he’s been keeping in his heart, but yoonho is _smiling_ and that’s the only thing that matters.

“that’s more like it,” yoonho nods, “i’m sorry for being emo. i love you, too. so much more.”

“i believe you,” mark does a mehrong and disentangles his arms from yoonho’s torso. “are you ready for the club?”

they meet with the rest back at the arcade. kangmin is exchanging the tickets they have collected for a pack of flower scented tissue that he gives to yeri and a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

they arrive at the club in no time at all, since the wind is getting stronger and they’re just walking fast. there’s a queue in front of the club, ‘neo culture’ it reads, but hongwon only needs to make one quick phone call and the bouncer is letting them in with a nod.

mark grabs the sleeve of yoonho’s black denim jacket because neo culture is sure... new.

in terms of music, mark wished he could lie to himself that he’s not enjoying the fusion of R&B and trap currently playing; the sound is somewhat way darker than the usual squeaky loud, house music. the observation is made after his heartbeats are getting used to the deep bass reverberating through the whole place. the music is quite calming, in a way, just like the overall ambience; the lighting is mainly a toned down red, blue, and hot pink, signified by tall, transparent boxes with each colors. three girls are inside the boxes, dancing, not sensually, but just as hypnotizing. the DJ deck is not that high from the dancefloor, and a small crowd is already forming down there.

hongwon is leading them to the highest floor of the club where five separate VIP tables, with actual plush sofas, are still void of people. someone is waiting for hongwon at the center table, welcoming him with a grand gesture. he’s older than them, and he looks professional even if he’s in a club. mark is just holding onto yoonho’s arm now.

hongwon introduces the man as the talent manager of neo culture and everything they want tonight is all taken care of. yeri and kangmin are grinning wide, and yoonho shakes the man’s hand and hongwon tells the man that yoonho is from KAIST’s kiff. from then on, mark is lost because yoonho, hongwon and the man are involved in some serious talk, but at least yoonho is checking up on him from time to time with a hand on his knee, down on his calf— _that_ makes mark feeling funny because yoonho’s hand is _big_ , okay—and back on his upper thigh.

mark clears his throat.

he turns to yeri and kangmin who are already finishing their first bottle of beer.

“good?” mark asks, trying his best to look and sound like yoonho’s big hand on his upper thigh is not affecting him in the slightest.

“of course, everything is free,” yeri laughs, slamming down the bottle on the expensive marbled table. “wanna dance?”

“don’t mind if i do,” kangmin answers, shrugging.

“i was asking mark.”

“oh, my bad.”

mark laughs, slapping kangmin on his thigh, causing kangmin to spill the beer on his jeans. mark gasps, apologizes, but kangmin and yeri just laugh it off, blackmailing him to dance with them since he made kangmin look like he pissed himself.

mark is blushing, embarrassed because he’s being awkward in front of his own _friends_ , and yoonho is nodding at him when he says he’s going to try to dance. the trio excuse themselves to hongwon and the talent manager, and yeri is taking off her coat, leaving it on the sofa, and if she glances at hongwon from under her fake eyelashes before strutting out, mark is sure she knows what she’s doing.

mark is tailing kangmin to the bathroom to try drying off the sticky beer. the wetted tissue papers and the hand dryer help a bit, and kangmin smothers mark in a hug, messing his hair as a revenge. mark squeals, but it’s what he deserves.

the dancefloor is getting packed as the first DJ of the night is showing up, talking to the crowd about some warmups. yeri yells out _you should have joined us in the karaoke room!_ —and kangmin clutches at mark as he almost collapses to the floor from how hard he is laughing.

mark can’t dance, so yeri pulls him in and tells him to raise his arms and to move his feet, to feel the music, then he needs to actually move his shoulders, his body, and his hips, and to hell to everyone else because it’s about having a good time, not a dance competition.

at some point when the beat drops, yeri jumps and yells, followed by kangmin doing some energetic head banging. mark is just watching them, shuffling from one foot to another, but his body is really feeling the rhythm when the song shifts to something even more melancholic, as a woman with sultry, husky voice sings about a broken heart.

mark should have taken off his denim jacket because it’s getting hot in here.

people are starting to fill up the dancefloor that mark is pressed close to yeri and kangmin, and getting bumped by moving bodies on his left and right.

when he comes back to their table, the talent manager is gone and hongwon is talking to two _women_ , not girls, wearing sparkly mini dresses and yoonho listening on the side, keeping a distance, drinking a glass of something dark.

well, mark is thirsty.

“yoonho-yah,” mark says before plopping himself next to his boyfriend, who’s opening one arm to welcome him. mark immediately nuzzles to yoonho’s neck, asking, “what’s in there?”

“JW black label.”

“what?” mark looks at a slim bottle on the table, but the label is facing the other way.

yoonho chuckles, holding up the glass to mark’s lips, “it’s good.”

mark opens his mouth, but closes it again. “are you sure you want me to try?”

“just a little,” yoonho says softly in affirmation.

“oh, yeah!” mark perks up, tasting hints of smooth, creamy toffee on the tip of his tongue, and something else that’s quite spicy and citrusy later on. it’s so good. he blinks at yoonho, and yoonho smiles, letting him have another sip before gulping down the rest.

“i was enjoying that!” mark pouts, poking yoonho’s dimple, wriggling on the sofa until he has one knee in between yoonho’s legs. it’s so hot. “take this off,” he whines, sitting on yoonho’s right thigh, his knee digging to yoonho’s stomach, his shin against yoonho’s crotch, and he can hear the women on hongwon’s sides giggling at him.

yoonho is tossing mark’s denim jacket on top of yeri’s coat, and then moving his hands to settle on mark’s hips.

“you’re drunk again.” his comment doesn’t sound condescending or anything, but mark is blushing in embarrassment.

“i’m sorry,” mark whines again.

“it’s c-u-t-e,” yoonho is mouthing every word, probably because one of the women is still staring at them. his fingers on mark’s upper thighs are burning through the fabric of mark’s tight, black jeans. “are you sleepy?” he asks, his gaze falling down to mark’s lips.

mark is in the middle of nodding when he decides to shake his head. now his head is hurting.

yoonho smiles, fondly, which is kinda odd because they’re sitting on a VVIP sofa in a dark club, and mark could have just kissed yoonho if only they didn’t have an audience.

“i’m heavy, aren’t i?” mark asks to the back of yoonho’s right ear, his arms are two unmoving blocks around yoonho’s shoulders. yoonho feels hotter than the whole air conditioned club, but he’s really comfortable.

“at least you look good in my lap.” yoonho quips, squeezing mark’s middle with one arm and slipping the other thumb to the belt loop of mark’s tight, black jeans, right on mark’s backside, and the rest of his fingers are splayed against mark’s ass.

mark giggles, and if he’s rocking his hips exactly once (1), it’s nobody else’s business but his. “that sounds like a line from a porno.”

and yoonho’s.

because his voice cracks when he asks, “are you telling me you watch porn, the almighty mark lee?”

mark giggles, thankfully able to stop himself from doing further public indecent acts. he climbs off yoonho’s lap, sighs loudly as his back hits the plush sofa, and closes his eyes. his heartbeats are thundering, and he’s half hard already.

when he opens his eyes next, he’s being heaved higher on yoonho’s back. he makes a surprised sound when october’s cold wind hits his face, and yoonho apologizes, telling him to go back to sleep.

the bed smells good. mark remembers falling asleep on his front. when he wakes up at the beginning of dawn, he’s face to face with yoonho’s back. he’s only in his long sleeved black t-shirt and plain grey boxer briefs; his clothes are draped on the back of a chair. the hotel room is small; the only source of light comes from the bathroom’s. the orange glow allows mark to read the digital clock on the bedside table.

04:15 am.

he tiptoes to get a bottle of mineral water from the bathroom. his reflection is looking bleary and pale and dry. his hair is everywhere. he drinks half the bottle, relieves himself, washes his hands, and gets under the cover again.

he forgets that yoonho is a light sleeper.

mark thinks his heartbeats are deafening him; the situation has just come creeping into him. they’re sleeping in a hotel, although they’re not doing anything. it’s quite _thrilling_ because there are _possibilities_.

“sorry, go back to sleep.” he whispers, caressing the back of yoonho’s head with his knuckles.

“you okay?” yoonho asks without turning to face him, but his hand is reaching out blindly as if touching any part of mark will reassure him.

“i’m here,” mark wriggles closer, taking yoonho’s hand, and yoonho squeezes is briefly before letting go, sighing in contentment.

“cold?” yoonho asks after a few minutes, his voice gets even lower than before.

“nah.” mark answers, grabbing the hem of yoonho’s black sweatshirt just because he can.

“sleep tight, mark lee-sshi.”

“you too, kim yoonho-sshi.”

mark wakes up to the heavy curtain opened and the sun filtering through and no sight of yoonho.

mark sits up, way too fast, and his head is spinning. he closes his eyes, willing himself to take a deep breath. he scans the small room and finds yoonho’s phone next to his on the bedside table. his brain refuses to cooperate to form a coherent reason as to why yoonho is nowhere to be found yet he left his phone right there.

then there’s a loud beep from the door, and mark is already on his feet.

“hey, _whoa_ ,” yoonho drops the 7-11 plastic bag he’s holding so he can handle mark’s body. “what happened?”

mark is stepping on top of yoonho’s pair of new balance and babbles, “i woke up but i didn’t see you i thought—i thought you left me!”

“silly,” yoonho pinches the swell of mark’s ass, “i bought breakfast just across the street.”

mark gasps, swatting yoonho’s hand, pulling back from the hug.

yoonho bends down to take the plastic bag from the floor, closes the door properly, and says, “our kind of breakfast in bed.”

“you’re so lame sometimes,” mark clicks his tongue, smiling widely. “but i’ll take it.”

“of course. you love me,” yoonho deadpans, sitting on the bed like he’s not being shameless, and mark yells.

yoonho bought two cartons of chocolate milk, two bottles of mineral water, two cream breads, two protein bars, one hangover cure, and two bento boxes, the latter have become a mess because mark made him drop them. they eat with their legs folded, and yoonho has the TV playing the first movie of transformers.

“when did i pass out?” mark asks, sniffing the bento. he’s never had one before. it smells just like the usual stir fry chicken.

“around one. i took you here right away because i felt lethargic,” yoonho answers, stirring his pork cutlet and the steaming white rice. “yeri went back to hongwon’s place, by the way.”

mark can’t _speak_.

“we figured they will, though, what’s with the cute face?” yoonho laughs, pinching mark’s lips shut. “kangmin scored some girl as well. overall, it was a successful night out.”

“you sound like a news presenter,” mark huffs, using his chopsticks to mix a bit of the beef and the white rice. “are you okay with yeri and hongwon?” he asks, taking a bite. the flavor is quite good.

“they’re both adults,” yoonho notes gently, smiling at mark. “are you worrying for yeri’s sake?”

“true,” mark clears his throat, continuing to eat his bento in gusto. “uh, well. it’s just kinda weird because they both are our friends?”

“they will be fine,” yoonho reminds him and adds with a blatant admiration, “it’s so sweet of you, mark. yeri is a big girl.”

mark couldn’t agree more. he counts to ten to gather his courage to press a quick kiss to yoonho’s left cheek, ending the topic of their friends hooking up.

“anyway, sorry i used your phone,” yoonho says, scratching the tip of his nose out of embarrassment. “i texted your mom and said you’re staying over at my place.”

right. mark forgot to tell his parents that apparently he wasn’t going home last night. they must have been so worried. “what did she say?” mark asks, putting down his bento on the bed to go to the bedside table, unlocking his phone.

“i don’t know yet, maybe she’s replied now?” yoonho answers, cracking open a bottle of mineral water.

 

**01:49**

**to: mom**

message delivered

Ma’am this is Yoonho. Mark is sleeping right now at my place, I will bring him back later in one piece. Thank you very much.

 

**08:57**

**from: mom**

message received

Hi, yes please. Hope he’s not a handful! Take care, Yoonho-yah.

 

“my mom said it’s okay,” mark announces, exhaling out loud. “what time should we check out from here?”

“twelve,” yoonho turns his head to answer mark with a smile, “we should take a shower after eating.”

mark puts a hand to cover his mouth, acting as if he’s scandalized by what yoonho just said.

“ _separately_ , mark, come on.” yoonho barks a laugh that sounds just as scandalized, leaning closer to pinch mark’s cheek.

(later that night after mark gets off the phone with yoonho who is already in the KTX going back to daejeon, jaehyun knocks on his unlocked door, asks questions about school, and slides a pack of condom into mark’s hand, not saying anything more. he gives mark’s head a gentle pat, doing a good job as an older brother by pretending that he doesn’t see the flush on mark’s cheeks.)

 

* * *

 

mark is… interested. he would have to admit that he’s got quite low libido for such a healthy eighteen-year-old with a boyfriend, because he thinks _sex_ is a major step in his relationship, something that’s not exactly sacred, but needs to be done with mutual agreement.

mark is not a prude, he’s just never given sex a deeper thought until recently.

he hasn’t asked yoonho about anything. he knew yoonho had dated once before mark, his ex-girlfriend was from an all-girls school and they met through a goukon. they dated for a year since freshman, and there hasn’t been anyone until mark. maybe yoonho did it with her, maybe he didn’t. mark doesn’t think whether yoonho did it or not is important, but he’s definitely not going to say no once the perfect opportunity comes.

he’s ready.

 

* * *

 

mark surfs the world wide web for gay porn.

he can’t say that he likes it, not with how industrial everything is from the setting, the moaning, and the camerawork.

but there’s one particular video that gets him squirmy; a homemade video with faceless naked bodies on a generic hotel bed, grinding and moaning and showing the man on the bottom spreading his thick legs wide, receiving fingers, three at first, then four, and finally a huge, beautiful, cut cock is entering his body.

it’s so raw, intimate, like he’s spying on them. the video is five minutes long and mark has it replayed for the past couple of nights. midterm is next week. he needs to let go.

 

* * *

 

midterm is quite fine. no major obstacle for mark. he thinks he’s aced the tests?

yoonho, on the other hand, is stressed out with basically everything; mainly all the scientific organic chemistry stuffs that mark doesn’t understand. he replies to mark’s kakaotalk only at night when he’s having dinner, which can be as late as nearing 11 pm. he doesn’t update instagram story at all during midterm weeks, making donghyuck worried, and he’s mostly sleeping or studying on the weekend.

they both are excited because mark is finally visiting daejeon on friday.

 

* * *

 

mark is lost.

he sucks big time with _directions_ and it’s one of the reasons why he hasn’t taken any driving lesson to get a license. he can function just fine with public transportation, and if there’s zombie apocalypse the rest of his family can take turn to drive the car.

anyway he’s lost.

daejeon station is not even that huge if compared to seoul station, but still. yoonho had sent an instruction about how to get to KAIST with bus, but mark can’t seem to locate the correct bus stop at all. it’s friday night, and yoonho has kiff meeting every last friday of the month. mark forgot about the monthly meeting and purchased the KTX ticket right on the time of the meeting, and now he’s lost.

and hungry.

he doesn’t want to bother yoonho anymore and it’s cold and he’s got two heavy boxes of yoonho’s mother homemade foods, his umma’s, and donghyuck’s carrot cake. he hails a taxi, tells the driver to go to KAIST male dorm, and asks the security guards if they know where kim yoonho’s room is. the friendly uncles need a moment to check the database in the computer, and tells mark to go to the west wing, up to the third floor, to find room 305. they make a friendly comment about mark’s load but reassure him that the buildings only have five floors and the third floor is totally manageable by stairs— _not that we have elevator anyway, ha ha ha!_ —and mark laughs along. he’s so excited.

he sends a kakaotalk to yoonho, informing him that he’s safe and sound right in front of room 305’s door. mark sits down, using an old copy of haruki murakami’s ‘kafka on the shore’ as a makeshift cushion for his butt.

he tells his family’s group chat that he’s arrived safely and that he’s waiting for yoonho; that daejeon’s sky is clear tonight, that daejeon’s weather is fine, and how he took the taxi because he was hopeless to find the bus. appa and umma are laughing and jaehyun says doyoung-hyung wants to talk to yoonho later or tomorrow.

mark updates his instagram story, just a quick picture of the boxes and a little bit of the clean, narrow hallway, with a caption that says _No, I’m not running away XD_.

donghyuck is replying to that instagram story in a flash, typing in all caps _PLAY SAFE HYUNG LMAOOOOO_ and mark gasps, pouting, wondering if it’s karma because he’s been having explicit thoughts about his boyfriend for the past couple of weeks.

he replies with an angry emoji and switches to youtube app, thinking to distract himself with a mukbang video.

two fifteen-minutes long mukbang videos later, yoonho is calling his name as he runs from the stairs towards him, and mark is on his feet in an instant and then they’re hugging, crushing each other’s ribs with how tight they’re squeezing their arms around the other and mark can smell cigarette, sweat, and the fading chemically processed ocean from yoonho.

it’s as if yoonho can read his mind because he says in a relaxed tone, “lots of the sunbaes at kiff smoke.”

“okay,” mark says, quietly, “good.” the _i missed you so much_ goes unsaid.

mark closes his eyes, slotting his head to the broad line of yoonho’s shoulders, tiptoeing a little. he knows he will get the cigarette scent all over himself as well, but he couldn’t care less.

yoonho tightens his arms, cradling the back of mark’s head and pressing even closer.

their heartbeats are of the same thundering rhythm.

“we should get inside,” yoonho murmurs, running his fingers through mark’s hair.

“yeah,” mark presses a kiss to the side of yoonho’s neck, not waiting to see yoonho’s reaction as he bends down to take the boxes.

yoonho is smiling wide as he fishes out a card wallet, tapping it to open the door to his room. he presses the light switch, and the first impression that comes to mark’s mind upon seeing the two people room is that it’s just enough; it’s not spacious but it’s not compact, either. there’s a neat shoe cabinet by the door and an open coat rack above it. mark remembers yoonho telling him that freshmen dorm doesn’t have a bathroom in their room; the communal showers and toilets are located at the end of the hallway.

a small balcony is overlooking some buildings and a hill, the curtain of the sliding windows slash door is opened. there are two desks; one is pushed against the wall next to the sliding windows slash door, and the other is located right behind two bunk beds. the two desks are getting a nice view. mark assumes the messy one near the sliding windows slash door is yoonho’s.

there’s also four paneled doors wardrobe that’s built to become one with the wall; yoonho’s is obvious from the various doosan bears and oh my girl’s arin stickers on the left side of the doors. the right side is filled with colorful post-its and some polaroid pictures. [the boy whose cute smile is so blinding must be minseok](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaJ4GOTV4AAUovK.jpg); mark won’t mistake such cutie pie for anyone else since yoonho posts quite a lot of his pastimes with minseok in his instagram stories.

he pauses. what the heck?

mark takes off his black bomber jacket, hugging it as he forces himself to kick out one (1) unnecessary thought he just had. sitting down on the floor, yoonho begins opening the box.

“are these from my mom?” yoonho asks, taking out a huge container of homemade kimchi and the smaller ones that look like salted spinach, marinated but uncooked ribs, ready-to-eat kimbap rolls, and others.

“that one, yeah,” mark answers, sitting down next to yoonho, “this one’s from my mom and there’s also donghyuck’s carrot cake.” he opens the second, smaller box with just three tupperwares in it; the biggest is from donghyuck, because it’s a tradition to celebrate the end of any exam with him baking mark’s favorite carrot cake. it’s freshly baked today, the cheese frosting is to die for.

“my mom packed some deboned fish and chicken wings,” mark continues, watching yoonho walking on his knees to the medium sized refrigerator right across the shoe rack. tacked on the refrigerator’s door are various clippings of restaurant’s delivery menu.

“oh, _wow_ ,” yoonho grins, “i deserve them, don’t i?”

“yes, you do,” mark smiles, following yoonho suit to crouch down in front of the refrigerator. “did you have dinner?”

“nope, was thinking to take you out,” yoonho says matter-of-factly, frowning as he rearranges the messy content. “remind me to tell minseokkie that we barely have any space left, ha ha.”

“can we have noodle soup?” mark asks. “so, your roommate went home since thursday because he’s finished midterm earlier than you?”

“yeah.”

“what’s his major again?”

“business and technology management.”

“do you have someplace else to store all these foods, just in case?”

yoonho shrugs. “i think i can use the huge refrigerator in the central kitchen on the first floor? just have to make sure our foods are labeled, though.”

mark hums. yoonho bops his nose with a cold finger.

“did you say you want noodle soup? i know just the right place. should i shower first?”

mark shakes his head.

“are you sure?” yoonho makes a face at himself, and mark giggles.

“i’m starving, and you smell _good_.”

“you’re only saying it because you know i’m paying.”

mark shoves yoonho until yoonho falls to his side and mark apologizes, helping him up. they’re giggling as mark is being pulled in return, their chests touching just like a scene in a yeoja manhwa.

“won’t i get a welcome kiss at least?” mark asks, swallowing dry saliva, and yoonho presses a chaste one quickly. mark is smiling but he pretends to sulk, “just like that?”

“we have plenty of time,” yoonho’s grin is a little bit crooked but mark is lying if he doesn’t find it _hot_. “put on your jacket again. it’s a ten-minute walk.”

the restaurant is bustling alive with newly freed students; clinking glasses and rowdy exclamations can be heard from the tables, mostly cursing themselves because they missed a formula or completely skipping the question altogether. mark smiles as he sits down on the farthest table big enough for five. he can see foreign students talking in their accented korean to their korean friends, and that he can count the number of girls present with ten fingers.

yoonho is ordering for them. because mark can’t eat spicy food, he gets him a big bowl of clear noodle soup with shredded chicken. the size of the bowl is bigger than mark’s face. thankfully mark is _starving_.

“this family makes the noodle fresh every morning,” yoonho tells mark as he sits back down, checking the time on his phone before activating the airplane mode. he gives mark the chopsticks and a spoon and mark might or might not be swooning.

“what?” yoonho asks, smiling in confusion.

mark pretends to be cool. he shrugs.

yoonho kicks his leg under the table and mark giggles, kicking yoonho back. they play footsies until mark’s foot hits the table and their hot barley tea are sloshing out of the cups.

“anyway!” mark is blushing, but he doesn’t care. “do you eat here often?”

yoonho is also smiling like a fool, so whatever. “sometimes. minseokkie can’t really eat a portion this huge so we don’t really go here. but it’s so good, i promise.”

mark breathes loudly after yoonho mentions his roommate again. mark swears he’s not paying a close attention, that he’s not annoyed at all by yoonho’s _minseokkie this_ and _minseokkie that_. no, he’s not. it’s just.

“mark? aren’t you eating?” yoonho asks, already mixing his noodle soup with a bit of spicy pepper paste and thick sesame oil.

right.

mark loves the noodle soup. he can use him starving as an excuse for the halt of their conversation, that is until someone is calling yoonho’s name.

“guys! i thought you’re all back home already?” yoonho is standing up, doing some complicated handshake with his two friends. mark looks up when yoonho asks, “who else are with you?”

“jihoon and changbin are taking our orders,” the boy with a bowl cut answers, smiling at mark. “can we join in? the other tables are occupied.”

“oh, um.” yoonho looks at mark for permission and mark feels bad because he was being totally unfair towards his boyfriend, albeit in silence. mark stands up as well, introducing himself as yoonho’s friend from high school. he helps making room on the table, pushing the utensils and the tissue to the center.

the boy with the bowl cut is bang jaemin from incheon, and the quiet one with tanned skin and curly hair is mizuguchi yuto from osaka, japan. they are roommates, both studying mechanical engineering.

“i’m taking yuto home tomorrow to experience more side of korea,” jaemin tells mark in a friendly manner like they’ve known each other for quite some time, and mark is glad that no one has to be awkward; not him, not yoonho, and certainly not yoonho’s university friends who are clueless. if he wasn’t mistaken, yoonho’s face remained neutral when he introduced himself as ‘yoonho’s high school friend’.

they haven’t really talked about it, remember? from what mark can deduce, yoonho lets his new friends to think that he’s soft for a ‘girlfriend’—that his ‘girlfriend’ is truly the muse as reflected from his lyrics. mark believes yoonho would tell his friends the truth if they were to ask, but they didn’t, so.

“really? you’re japanese? i can’t catch your accent at all,” mark asks, pressing one leg against yoonho’s underneath the table and keeping it there. the corners of yoonho’s lips are quirked up, and that’s enough.

“it’s because he’s the diligent kim yuto,” jaemin answers, nudging yuto who’s smiling like he knows he’s good but he’s not going to tell you yourself that he’s good.

“where do you study, mark?” yuto asks in return, his voice is surprisingly deep and unsurprisingly polite.

“SNU.” mark grins when yuto whistles.

“for real? damn,” jaemin comments, cheeks full with noodle, “and you’re good looking, too. congratulations.”

“who’s good looking?”

if minseokkie is the cutest boy of the whole galaxy doyoung-hyung will probably abandon mark the second he sees minseokkie, then one of yoonho’s friends who’s carrying a big tray with two steaming hot noodle soup is the prettiest boy mark has ever seen in real life. his hair is the color of caramel and forehead is on display, his full cheeks and lips are rosy, and it’s the eyes that are so mesmerizing mark is pretty sure he forgets to breathe for a moment.

the one asking with a cheeky tone looks kinda scary, though, with messy black hair and strong jaw. but then he sees mark, and he’s got a cute smile.

“hi,” scary-but-cute says, addressing mark, “yoonho’s friend?”

“yeah,” mark nods, getting up. “mark lee. nice to meet you.”

“seo changbin,” scary-but-cute answers, “this one is park jihoon.”

“hi,” jihoon says in passing, putting down the tray carefully. jaemin takes one from the tray and thanks him.

their table is soon quieting down save for the slurping and the clinks of chopsticks and spoons against the bowls.

“you guys are not drinking?” yuto asks as he takes a sip from a cold can of beer.

“not tonight,” yoonho says, firmly. “can’t half-ass my being a tour guide for mark.”

mark giggles, biting his bottom lip because that sounds a little bit cheesy. yuto is raising the can for him.

“yoonho-yah, where’s minseok?” changbin chirps, and it’s weird how one name can switch off the good mood he’s having. he tells himself to calm down. changbin is just asking a question.

“he went home first yesterday,” yoonho answers, not looking up from his noodle.

mark is aware that he’s being petty, but he’s glad yoonho doesn’t treat a question about minseok like it deserves his full attention to details.

“right, i forgot.” changbin hums, and then he asks mark with a sense of urgency, “how long have you been friends with yoonho? give us some tea to sip.”

jaemin hollers at that, while yuto and jihoon are listening closely.

mark shakes his head, suppressing a smile.

“there’s nothing out of ordinary,” he grimaces as yoonho is making a pleading gesture with his palms closed together. “he’s so unproblematic.”

changbin is following suit. he’s grimacing and shaking his head in disbelief. “are you sure? he’s the leader of kiff’s freshman clan.”

yoonho is quick to interrupt, “now, now, mister best rapper of the year, where are you going with this?”

changbin is _laughing_. he’s enjoying this. “nowhere! i just want some—“

“the leader of the freshman clan?” but mark can’t help but to voice out what he doesn’t understand. why didn’t yoonho tell him? kiff itself is an established brand that anyone being associated with it is guaranteed to be acknowledged by the hip hop industry, that _much_ mark understands. being the leader is a whole another level that shouldn’t be overlooked; mark is yoonho’s muse, right? he’s entitled to know.

the ugliest part of mark’s mind is not helping him at all by making a sarcastic assumption that _minseokkie_ must have known.

god!

“guy’s right there sitting in front of you,” changbin explains in a proud tone of a believer. “listen, _kim yoonho_ , i know you’re humble as fuck but i didn’t know you’re this chill? look at mark, he’s lost! he knows how valuable being the leader at kiff is! mark, you knew the story of how yoonho got into kiff, right?”

mark is nodding, smiling, but he’s not feeling good about what he’s about to hear.

“while changbin aka spearb—god bless him—spat fire about blood, sweat, and tears to get where he is, our leader rhymed about his girlfriend’s smile,” jaemin pipes in, also with the tone of a hardcore believer. “rest assured he made all the girls swoon, even the fiercest rapper-noona from physics department was melting.”

“so did you,” changbin singsongs, and jaemin coolly admits,

“so did i.”

everything is happening way too fast. what was that? jaemin swooned? but jaemin is not a girl!

mark joins the loud laughter a second too late.

“did you know? yoonho got a funny nickname, he’s the ‘pretty boy collector’,” changbin is excited now, he’s clapping his hands like a seal. “first his roommate, right, have you met kim minseok? a literal _angel_ , i tell you. then we have bang jaemin who, despite his boyish face, will roast you in a rap battle and of course, KAIST’s number one flower, park jihoon. don’t even talk to me about the others, fanboying over him whenever he’s on stage. it’s like all the pretty boys at KAIST are attracted to him.”

jaemin’s smile turns _shy_. jihoon, on the other hand, is downright blushing and mark knows it’s not because of his noodle since he eats it plain just like mark.

“wait, you’re pretty, too.” changbin observes and if the situation wasn’t taking the ugliest turn like this, mark would have dismissed changbin’s compliment with a nervous giggle.

mark can’t even move a facial muscle at all right now.

“it’s true,” jaemin chimes, stares at mark, and nods in approval. “has yoonho been a pretty boy collector in seoul? i wonder what his girlfriend might think.”

well, his ‘girlfriend’ thinks it’s hilarious.

so hilarious that mark doesn’t even think it’s funny anymore.

he tunes out everyone, hoping that his laughter and mumbled responses are not too out of sync with their conversation. the noodle soup is getting cold and it tastes like nothing as mark scoops spoonful after spoonful of the clear broth. when he doesn’t think he can take it anymore, he swallows down bitter beginning of tears and when he realizes that if he doesn’t manage his emotion he will be crying in front of yoonho’s friends in the middle of a noodle restaurant, he snorts out a laugh that startles the whole table.

“mark?” yoonho’s voice is so gentle when he calls mark’s name, and mark wants to know if he called minseokkie with the same voice.

mark has had enough. his head might explode if he doesn’t get out of here. he wants to throw over the table but that won’t end well for yoonho because yoonho is a student in KAIST and this restaurant is filled with KAIST students—

“can i be excused?” mark bursts, almost inaudibly. “i apologize. i don’t feel too well. i’m so sorry.” he’s babbling. his vision is blurring. he gets up and hears rushed goodbyes from everyone.

“dude, of course. hopefully we can hang out again whenever you’re visiting yoonho, yeah?” jaemin adds in a hurry, and at least mark is bowing deeply at them before dashing out the restaurant without waiting for yoonho.

it’s cold when he’s walking on the street of daejeon. he wraps his arms around himself, ducking his head, walking fast.

yoonho is catching up quietly. he’s walking a step behind mark as a solid presence. he doesn’t say a word until they take a left turn at the intersection, stopping at the red light.

there are people around them, youngsters alike and worn out looking men and women in office attire, but yoonho doesn’t seem to care as he asks,

“are you mad?”

“i’m not.”

“it’s just a joke, yeah? you’re the only one for me.”

“that’s not fair.”

“but it’s the truth.”

the light turns green but marks stays rooted on his spot.

“what about when we were in school? did pretty boys from seoul gangseo science follow you around like they do?”

it’s ugly, what mark is feeling right now. it’s like a brand new kind of darkness is consuming him.

“no. but mark, listen—”

“congratulations.”

mark is being unfair, again. he promises he will _stop_ his nonsensical hysteria but not now. he’s not mad, per se, he’s just sad because everything, and he means _everything_ —could have happened differently if only they went to the same university and befriending the same circle of friends; that way mark didn’t have to find out about yoonho’s stellar popularity with pretty boys from said pretty boys themselves. he… he’s _envious_. he wasn’t there with yoonho when he was crowned the leader of kiff’s freshman clan. he couldn’t be there when yoonho was down with midterm. he’s not the one who get to see yoonho waking up everyday. hell, he just wants to be with yoonho, preferably forever.

“mark.”

“i’m tired. why haven’t we arrived at your dorm?”

there is a pause, and mark has to glare at yoonho before yoonho can answer, both his words and eyes are tender, “we’re approximately two miles further from my dorm.”

oh.

_oh my god._

“don’t laugh!” mark screeches, stomping, making a fuss out of his stupidity as people are walking around them and yoonho takes his wrist, squeezing it gently.

“i wouldn’t dare, mark, hey. come on, look at me.” yoonho whispers—desperately, if mark might add, tugging mark closer. “do you want to ride a taxi back to my dorm?”

“please,” mark sighs, hiding his face with his free hand. “i’m so sorry.”

“it’s alright,” yoonho chuckles, obviously in relief. “do you want to talk about it?”

“no need. i’m an idiot.”

“you’re not. i love you.”

“that’s really, really _unfair_.”

“you can say it back at the dorm.”

“no! i’m saying it right now, kim yoonho, i love you and i’m sorry i’m an idiot.”

“i love you more and you’re not an idiot. stop it.”

mark does, but not before hugging yoonho tight. yoonho is indulging him even as he’s hailing a taxi and they both don’t say anything during the short taxi ride. mark keeps clinging when yoonho pays the driver, and he doesn’t let go as they take the stairs to room 305.

yoonho says he needs to take a shower and when mark is still clinging to him he jokes _do you want to shower with me?_ —and mark almost says _yes!_ but sobers up, mumbling about unpacking.

“i’ll be right back,” yoonho says, running one big hand through mark’s hair, gently, and mark hates himself for being ridiculously difficult.

he takes off his bomber jacket, lies down on the floor, curling on his side and closing his eyes. it will be eleven o’clock in a few minutes. yoonho is back just ten minutes later and mark’s lone tear is thankfully already drying on his cheek.

“do you want to borrow a t-shirt?” yoonho asks, hair wet and curling on his forehead. he smells so fresh.

mark sits up, shaking his head. “i brought your hoodie.”

and the flush on yoonho’s face is certainly not from the hot shower. mark bites his trembling bottom lip because that’s so cute and _flattering_ and now mark understands why yoonho does a lot of patting himself on the back, _good job_ , kind of little gestures.

the communal shower has ten stalls. the fluorescent lamps are bright, but still, it’s kinda spooky because mark is all alone. he wastes no time to wash his hair and body and he even brushes his teeth right there and then. he sprints back to yoonho’s room, knocking frantically, and when yoonho opens the door he throws himself to hug yoonho again.

“scared?” yoonho asks, chuckling, his big hands are like an anchor on mark’s waist.

“a little,” mark hums, inhaling the side of yoonho’s neck. “sorry.”

they use minseok’s hair dryer to dry their hair. mark feels nothing as he watches the familiar routine that yoonho does; going to minseok’s side of the wardrobe to take out the hair dryer, plugging it, and then patting the floor so mark can sit in front of him.

ten minutes later, hair fluffed up and body cocooned in a thick comforter, they’re lying side by side squished in yoonho’s bed. the room is dark save from the opened heavy curtain, letting the light from the small balcony to shine.

it’s warm. mark moves to face the wall, squinting to read a huge periodic table tacked there but it’s all blurred.

next to him, yoonho is just breathing.

mark thinks he should start with an apology.

yoonho begs to differ.

“but it’s not okay! i hate myself for acting like an idiot and i took it out on you. you’ve done nothing wrong, yoonho-yah, i wasn’t being fair to you.” mark whines, clutching the edge of his pillow. “i’m sorry.”

“i’m just glad you’re willing to talk about it,” yoonho sniffs, voice low, “i don’t know what happened, either.”

mark is breathing hard. he wants to believe that his apology is enough, but he’s sure he should be doing something else to reassure yoonho that he _swears_ he will try to trample on his childish jealousy.

mark whispers, “you don’t know why they’re flocking to you?”

“i will try to keep my business to myself from now on, mark, i don’t want to make you upset like this anymore.”

“if you do, that will just make me feel even worst. it’s not—you’re free to befriend anyone, yoonho-yah, i’m the one having stupid thought. i’m the one who should be working hard, not you.”

yoonho is maneuvering mark gently so they’re lying on their sides, facing each other, and just as mark is able to appreciate the color of yoonho’s hair in the dark like this, yoonho is leaning down, capturing mark’s dry lips in a gentle but firm kiss.

yoonho opens his mouth, introducing tongue, and mark sucks yoonho’s bottom lip. and then they’re just moving steadily against each other; yoonho cupping one big, warm hand on mark’s neck, his thumb stroking across his jawline, putting pressure when mark releases a long breath through his nose.

the kiss is way too short, will never be enough, but yoonho is already pulling away, rubbing the tip of his nose to mark’s in an eskimo kiss, and says, teasingly, but maybe also pleading a little,

“you’re the only one i always want to kiss, mark lee, you better work hard to believe me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>   
>   
>  ok holy shit if you're reading this up until here, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  
>   
> remember, the great tolkien said, _'thy shall bestow kudos or comments for ted is good and he wants to know your thought 'bout japanese cheesecake yoonho and his almighty boyfriend''._  
> 


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